Listen to a sample
Alan Opts Out
- Author
- Courtney Maum
- Narrator
- Jason Culp, Jenn Lee
- Publisher
- Hachette Audio
- Publish Date
- 2 June 2026
- Run Time
- 10 hours 44 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
Alan Anderson is a powerful advertising executive who has built a successful life and thriving business by making people buy stuff they don’t actually need. He’s up for the biggest pitch of his career and the account everyone wants, US Dairy: cow’s milk sales are plummeting, and the C-Suite wants to see trendy oat milk kicked to the curb. But when an anarchist farmer tanks Alan’s presentation, Alan bombs the pitch but ends the day with an epiphany. No longer will he exploit the insecurities of others in the service of capitalism. Alan is opting out.
This development is anathema to his wife, Vivian. She’s just a few positive affirmations, a swimming pool, and an exacting series of social tests away from finally becoming part of the elite women’s club, the Queen Annes, in their adopted town of Greenwich, Connecticut. As if contending with a daughter who wants to write plays (!) and another who has an unnatural empathy with animals isn’t enough to manage, she can only watch as Alan moves into their backyard playhouse to live off the land and—worse—spend time with the family. But instead of shocking the neighbors, Alan’s commitment to a less-is-more lifestyle seems to be catching on. Could everyone want what Alan’s not selling?
Funny, sexy, intelligent, and poignant, Alan Opts Out is the most ambitious novel to date by celebrated author Courtney Maum, acclaimed for her stories that tackle big, chewy subjects of our post-modern America with wit and heart.
Critics Review
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One of LitHub’s Most Anticipated Books of 2026
“The eat-the-rich farce we need, from one of our funniest writers.” —LitHub -
"Alan Opts Out is a smart, funny, and all-too-timely tale of Americans on the edge of collapse, trying to figure out how to lead lives of authenticity and connection while also drowning in late-stage capitalism. Maum delivers wry humor without sacrificing compassion, offering what is both a sharp satire and also a surprisingly tender portrayal of people who are way, way over their heads, and just trying to be free."—Elizabeth Gilbert
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"Like all good satire, Alan Opts Outis vivid, lacerating and funny. But it also presents uncommon empathy for those it skewers—the desperate social climbers in lush and wealthy suburbs, a fierce little universe where nothing is more precious than an immaculate cherry hedge, or membership in an exclusive club filled with people you can’t stand. Only the sane opt out.”—Carl Hiaasen
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"Beautifully written, laugh-out-loud funny, and profound. Alan Opts Out is a delight.”—J. Courtney Sullivan, author of The Cliffs and Maine
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"Witty, sharp, and tender, Alan Opts Out skewers late-stage capitalism and material ambition while keeping human hearts—a family of them—at its center. Courtney Maum's eye for details is unmatched. She creates a family you quickly embrace, along with one of most unforgettable fictional parties of all time. Beneath the critique is a case for love: when the trappings fall away, love is what remains."—Rachel Khong, author of Real Americans
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"Courtney Maum exposes how much of our lives—and our bank accounts—we sacrifice just to fit in. When a husband decides to downsize his life just as his wife races to supersize hers, their marriage becomes a referendum on the American obsession with more. A brilliant, hilarious reminder that what we already have might just be enough."—Nathan Hill, author of The Nix and Wellness
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"Funny, surprising, empathetic, and human, the best satire reminds us that the only rational reaction to a world gone mad is to embrace the irrational, and to redefine what matters most. If this book lands in your hands, I beg you to opt in. It's chicken soup for the late-stage capitalist soul. (Or should I say lobster bisque.)"
—Steven Rowley, author of The Guncle -
"A sly, propulsive, and painfully hilarious family drama—this novel felt distinctly Franzenian to me, like if The Corrections had been written a full decade after the confirmed death of the American dream. I lost track of how many times I laughed out loud; reading this book reminded me how much fun a novel can be.”
—Caro Claire Burke, author of Yesteryear
User Reviews
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Details
- Author
- Courtney Maum
- Narrator
- Jason Culp, Jenn Lee
- Duration
- 10 hours 44 minutes
- Release Date
- 2 June 2026
- ISBN
- 9781668657102
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Hachette Audio
- Genre
- Humorous fiction, Family life fiction, Fiction: general and literary
Synopsis
In this timely and comedic take on ambition, consumerism, and the sticker price of privilege, an ad exec who bombs the biggest pitch of his career decides to forgo capitalism and live off the land of his suburban Connecticut home. Perfect for readers of Rufi Thorpe and Taffy Brodesser-Akner. Alan Anderson is a powerful advertising executive who has built a successful life and thriving business by making people buy stuff they don’t actually need. He’s up for the biggest pitch of his career and the account everyone wants, US Dairy: cow’s milk sales are plummeting, and the C-Suite wants to see trendy oat milk kicked to the curb. But when an anarchist farmer tanks Alan’s presentation, Alan bombs the pitch but ends the day with an epiphany. No longer will he exploit the insecurities of others in the service of capitalism. Alan is opting out.     This development is anathema to his wife, Vivian. She’s just a few positive affirmations, a swimming pool, and an exacting series of social tests away from finally becoming part of the elite women’s club, the Queen Annes, in their adopted town of Greenwich, Connecticut. As if contending with a daughter who wants to write plays (!) and another who has an unnatural empathy with animals isn’t enough to manage, she can only watch as Alan moves into their backyard playhouse to live off the land and—worse—spend time with the family. But instead of shocking the neighbors, Alan’s commitment to a less-is-more lifestyle seems to be catching on. Could everyone want what Alan’s not selling?     Funny, sexy, intelligent, and poignant, Alan Opts Out is the most ambitious novel to date by celebrated author Courtney Maum, acclaimed for her stories that tackle big, chewy subjects of our post-modern America with wit and heart.
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